Contracts | Lots of players with one year left

We've got quite a lot of contracts expiring next summer and we don't look like selling anyone bar Darmian in this window. Next summer could be quite a transitional period. Then again, if ambitions are more top 4ish and less title challenge-ish we might give out loads of contracts this winter.

We've got quite a lot of contracts expiring next summer and we don't look like selling anyone bar Darmian in this window. Next summer could be quite a transitional period. Then again, if ambitions are more top 4ish and less title challenge-ish we might give out loads of contracts this winter.

11 players. We'll likely try to get Dave signed to a new contract asap if we have any clue whatsoever and Martial we'll take the option to extend, if only to keep up his value.

This might help motivate some of those players..

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Should be sold this window in addition to Darmian, or else we would need to increase their wages and making them even harder to sell( bar Mata who will leave on a free next summer):
Juan Mata
Ander Herrera
Chris Smalling
Phil Jones
Luke Shaw

We've got quite a lot of contracts expiring next summer and we don't look like selling anyone bar Darmian in this window. Next summer could be quite a transitional period. Then again, if ambitions are more top 4ish and less title challenge-ish we might give out loads of contracts this winter.

To be fair, I have no idea why we didn't try to get some money this summer for the likes of Malta, Jones, Shaw and so on, considering that they will likely leave for free next summer unless we give them new contracts which will be very risky considering their age and ability.

I think we'll lose Mata, Herrera and Shaw for free. Mata will go back to somewhere in Spain or head to Germany, Herrera has already reported to have been offered a lucrative deal to go back to Bilbao and Shaw will go to somewhere like Newcastle.

Herrera we could have got good money for, he's easily worth £30m in today's market.

We've got quite a lot of contracts expiring next summer and we don't look like selling anyone bar Darmian in this window. Next summer could be quite a transitional period. Then again, if ambitions are more top 4ish and less title challenge-ish we might give out loads of contracts this winter.

11 players. We'll likely try to get Dave signed to a new contract asap if we have any clue whatsoever and Martial we'll take the option to extend, if only to keep up his value.

This might help motivate some of those players..

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Bar De Gea, every single one of them still has to prove they’re worth a new contract at a club with aspirations of being the best in Europe (for differing reasons). Depressing as feck but the truth hurts, right?

To be fair, I have no idea why we didn't try to get some money this summer for the likes of Malta, Jones, Shaw and so on, considering that they will likely leave for free next summer unless we give them new contracts which will be very risky considering their age and ability.

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Those might all take a bumper pay rise seeing as we set that precedent for Fellaini (and if rumours are to be believed, Rojo).

Bar De Gea, every single one of them still has to prove they’re worth a new contract at a club with aspirations of being the best in Europe (for differing reasons). Depressing as feck but the truth hurts, right?

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Yes, it does. I always find it useful to imagine them being at other clubs and think which ones I'd like us to go for. The reality is not many. Bar de Gea, there are a couple I think are highly professional and solid squad players: Tony, Young, Mata and Ander. The first two are pretty much nearing the end of their careers and we could have maybe done with selling Mata as likeable as he is as we don't really play any system that utilises him properly. Whatever we do, I think we need to develop a long-term strategy as a club and manifest it with ambition.

Pretty sure we had a similar situation this time last year, everyone stayed and very little changed

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I don't think we had a comparable situation then to be honest. 11 players is quite a lot. The year after we've got 6 players coming to the end of their deals (which includes Grant and TFM). Those referred to above are half our squad really.

Bar De Gea, every single one of them still has to prove they’re worth a new contract at a club with aspirations of being the best in Europe (for differing reasons). Depressing as feck but the truth hurts, right?

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You're not wrong, I'd be tempted to renew Martial and Herrera as I feel we could get good money for them if it came to it, jury's out on the rest.

Yeah, the squad contract situation could result in a pretty interesting scenario. Let's say we're off the pace and not looking like title challengers by December. If Jose wants to extend Young, Jones, Smalling and, hypothetically, Mata because they're his soldiers would you let him? You're left in the position of extending some expensive players into their 30s for a manager who may not even last the season...but he's still your manager. Conversely, you could let a bunch of contracts lapse and make it easier for the next guy to operate with a cleaner wage list. It's scary to me that Woodward is the one responsible for choosing what to do in that predicament.

I don't think the first post is correct. Everyone besides Shaw, Mata, Herrera & Young have an option of an additional year.

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By everyone you mean Smalling and Jones? This is according to Transfermarkt. Presumably we've already taken those options on Smalling and Jones.

Out of all those players I think we're obviously extending Pereira, or giving him a new contract. Martial and Dave are no brainers. And of the rest Ander is the most likely to get a new contract, even with view to selling him next summer. Seeing as our finances are so limited we're probably willing to sell most of the others now if it means we can fix the first XI by Thursday afternoon. We've just read about Mata for instance..

Mata, Herrera, Pereira, Martial, Smalling and Valencia (on one of those old man deals we loved to give Giggs/Scholes etc.) are all players that I'd happily see remain here. They're all good players and offer something to the squad.

Shaw is on his final chance otherwise he should be off. I don't really care for Young and wouldn't by sorry to see the back of him.

Jones is a tricky one. He's actually a good defender that gets way too much stick (hence literally every manager for club and country has started him when fit). His injuries, however, are just too frequent. If it's another year of messing around then we should renew and look to sell for some decent money next summer.

Smalling and Jones come in for lots of criticism (unfairly) but you'll be hard pressed to find better back ups anywhere. This is assuming Mourinho buys his third centre half this week.

@Kag
The issue (IMV) isn't whether they have something to offer as squad players (they probably all do). It's more that our finances are tight and there probably is a lot in the reports that we need to sell to buy. Read an interesting post by ravelston where he goes into our finances and concluded that we'd have 15m (+ what we've made in sales this summer) left to spend without deferring payments into the future. Then there's the size of the squad and the small matter of the wage budget.

@Kag
The issue (IMV) isn't whether they have something to offer as squad players (they probably all do). It's more that our finances are tight and there probably is a lot in the reports that we need to sell to buy. Read an interesting post by ravelston where he goes into our finances and concluded that we'd have 15m (+ what we've made in sales this summer) left to spend without deferring payments into the future. Then there's the size of the squad and the small matter of the wage budget.

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I take your point but I'm sure I've read before that our wage structure is probably lower now than it has been at some points in the past. I also read something about the percentage of the club's turnover in comparison to wages being lower than clubs like Liverpool and City.

We can sell some of these players but we'll also have to settle for a reduction in quality and huge transfer fees to replace them. I mean, it's possible this season that Herrera finds himself fourth (even fifth) choice in central midfield. Smalling or Jones could well be third and fourth (one of them fifth, again) choice this season, too. Few clubs can boast that kind of depth and I wouldn't want to see that tampered with unless we were using academy kids a lot more often to subside it.

I take your point but I'm sure I've read before that our wage structure is probably lower now than it has been at some points in the past. I also read something about the percentage of the club's turnover in comparison to wages being lower than clubs like Liverpool and City.

We can sell some of these players but we'll also have to settle for a reduction in quality and huge transfer fees to replace them. I mean, it's possible this season that Herrera finds himself fourth (even fifth) choice in central midfield. Smalling or Jones could well be third and fourth (one of them fifth, again) choice this season, too. Few clubs can boast that kind of depth and I wouldn't want to see that tampered with unless we were using academy kids a lot more often to subside it.

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We've cleared a few from the wage list but I think after signing Alexis our wages went a little up again. From what I understand our wages aren't a problem (I've read that too, our ratio is quite healthy) but the overall finances are still an issue (annually dividend payments of 25m and 20m servicing debts) with 68m being paid this year for previous years transfers and another 68m next year. Add it all up together and we maybe cannot afford to have loads of squad players on high wages. Personally, I'd hope that after signing one top class centre back in the next couple of days, next season we'd look to incorporate Tuanzebe into the team as 4th/5th choice, getting rid of two of Jones/Smalling/Rojo.

We still have 3 weeks after the close of the English window to sell Darmian, Rojo and Mata.
David de Gea - 1 year option - will renew.
Anthony Martial - 1 year option - will renew or be sold in January depending on performance or attitude.
Andreas Pereira - 1 year option (both parties) - will renew depending on performance this year.
Chris Smalling - As much as I don't rate him, he's good option to have if there is no replacement.
Phil Jones - Same as Smalling.
Luke Shaw - Same as Martial.
Ashley Young - will get a 1 year renewal if we don't get a replacement.

We've got quite a lot of contracts expiring next summer and we don't look like selling anyone bar Darmian in this window. Next summer could be quite a transitional period. Then again, if ambitions are more top 4ish and less title challenge-ish we might give out loads of contracts this winter.

Unfortunately I expect they'll all sign extensions even though a lot of them need shipping out

Juan Mata - new contract
Ander Herrera - new contract
Chris Smalling - new contract
Phil Jones - new contract
Luke Shaw - new 5 year contract
Ashley Young - new 2 year contract
Matteo Darmian - 1 year option taken up
Antonio Valencia - 1 year option taken up
David de Gea - New 5 year contract
Anthony Martial - 1 year option taken up
Andreas Pereira - 1 year option taken up

Unfortunately I expect they'll all sign extensions even though a lot of them need shipping out

Juan Mata - new contract
Ander Herrera - new contract
Chris Smalling - new contract
Phil Jones - new contract
Luke Shaw - new 5 year contract
Ashley Young - new 2 year contract
Matteo Darmian - 1 year option taken up
Antonio Valencia - 1 year option taken up
David de Gea - New 5 year contract
Anthony Martial - 1 year option taken up
Andreas Pereira - 1 year option taken up

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Only Shaw, de Gea, Pereira and Martial should be kept. Maybe Herrera too.

I don't understand this recent policy of ours of letting player's contracts run down to the final year before renewing them, especially in an inflated market where player's easiest way of moving clubs is to just let said contract run down. Why are we doing this? I know we obviously don't want to keep a lot of these players but we could get good money for a Mata or a Herrera or a Jones with a long contract so it makes no sense to me to see this shit.

I don't understand this recent policy of ours of letting player's contracts run down to the final year before renewing them, especially in an inflated market where player's easiest way of moving clubs is to just let said contract run down. Why are we doing this? I know we obviously don't want to keep a lot of these players but we could get good money for a Mata or a Herrera or a Jones with a long contract so it makes no sense to me to see this shit.

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Who knows, maybe it's the players agent's refusing to meet the club for negotiations because like you say they can get huge signing on fees if they leave the club on free transfers

Wenger did say he could see the trend happening more and more and while he's a figure of fun for many Wenger does know what he's talking about

I don't understand this recent policy of ours of letting player's contracts run down to the final year before renewing them, especially in an inflated market where player's easiest way of moving clubs is to just let said contract run down. Why are we doing this? I know we obviously don't want to keep a lot of these players but we could get good money for a Mata or a Herrera or a Jones with a long contract so it makes no sense to me to see this shit.

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Problem is, with the wages they'd demand it will be difficult to flog them to clubs of their level. No one else is paying Jones 120,000 a week or whatever he is on.

As most will be out of contract, then that been no money coming in. This is seriously bad from the club. Most should have been sold already. So we will waste next summer discussing contracts with a majority of them, it will be a majority, then they will cry that the window is too short and we didn't have time to do business for new players. Some it could be Fellaini MkII, will they resign or not. The club have got seriously lazy and disorganised on this side of things.

I agree with @Massive Spanner that some are vastly overpaid and it will be a nightmare to sell them. Some will also want a pay rise to resign. It is a mess.